Singularity University Welcomes 2010 Graduate Studies Program Participants
Class Size Doubled to Accommodate Growing Interest in Addressing “Humanity’s Grand
Challenges” through Scientific, Technological Collaboration. Opening Ceremonies Launches
Summer Program at NASA Ames on June 21,
Innovative Program Welcomes Students from 35 Nations.
Moffett Field, CA, June 15, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Singularity University (SU) -- the academic institution
with the goal of preparing the next generation of leaders to address “humanity's grand challenges” --
today announced the second year of its Graduate Studies Program (GSP), and a doubled class size to
accommodate 80 of the top students from 35 nations around the globe. On June 21 SU co-founders,
faculty, industry leaders, and other VIP guests will welcome the new class of students at the program's
Opening Ceremonies to take place at NASA Ames Research Park. The Graduate Studies Program will
begin June 19 and end with Closing Ceremonies on August 28.
Singularity University co-founders Dr. Ray Kurzweil and Dr. Peter H. Diamandis will formally introduce
the GSP-10 class and introduce the students to their 10-week exploration of the convergence of science,
exponentially accelerating technologies, and grand challenges. Dr. Larry Brilliant of the Skoll Urgent
Threat Fund will keynote the event.
“The past year has demonstrated pressing global challenges, as well as a significant shift in the zeitgeist
for exponential and accelerating technologies,” said Dr. Ray Kurzweil, co-founder and chancellor,
Singularity University. “It is only through the scale of exponentially growing information technologies
that we can meet these challenges. It is our goal at Singularity University to foster a deep understanding
of these technologies and through the team projects to directly solve urgent world needs.”
Ten Weeks of Study, A Lifetime of Innovation
The Graduate Summer Program is a ten-week interdisciplinary curriculum designed to facilitate
understanding, collaboration, and innovation across a broad range of carefully chosen scientific and
technological disciplines whose developments are exponentially accelerating. In addition to lectures and
workshops with world-class leaders, students can also participate in hands-on excursions to leading
Silicon Valley labs and companies, and exposure to NASA's many technologies.
From more than 1,600 pre-applicants, the 80 graduate and post-graduate students in the summer program
were chosen based on their level of expertise in individual “tracks,” demonstrated entrepreneurial and
leadership skills, and their commitment to addressing and solving important issues facing our world.
Taught by the leading minds in their respective fields, the GSP curriculum tracks include: future studies
and forecasting; policy, law and ethics; finance and entrepreneurship; networks and computing systems;
biotechnology and bioinformatics; nanotechnology; medicine, neuroscience and human enhancement; AI
and robotics; energy and ecological systems; and space and physical sciences.
And the keystone of the GSP, the challenging Ten to the Ninth Power Plus (10^9+) group projects, are
designed to positively affect at least one billion people within the next 10 years in five key areas. SU
Page 1/3
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use
faculty chose five challenges for this year's class: home energy, water, vertical farming, up-cycling, and
space exploration.
“The biggest changes affecting the world today, such as the financial crisis, the growth of social media,
medical technologies, aspects of climate change, are all rooted in accelerating and exponential factors,”
said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, co-founder and chairman at Singularity University. “Billion dollar
companies are popping up overnight while century-old companies are folding. Our 10-week Graduate
Studies Program is an extraordinary program for graduate and post-graduate students to understand
exponential technologies, their projected growth, their disruptive nature and their ability change the
world. Students gain a working knowledge of ten different “exponential tracks,” as well as take an
interdisciplinary deep dive to learn how to better manage and navigate these technologies. This year's
class of students are incredibly accomplished and truly exceptional, we expect the effects of the GSP
graduates and their 10^9+ projects to be far-reaching and positively affect humanity's challenges.”
Media in attending the event should contact SU Media Relations - Denise Vardakas,
denise@theconversationgroup.com.
About Singularity University
Singularity University (SU) is an interdisciplinary university whose mission is to assemble, educate and
inspire a cadre of leaders who strive to understand and facilitate the development of exponentially
advancing technologies in order to address humanity's grand challenges. With the support of a broad
range of leaders in academia, business and government, SU is stimulating groundbreaking, disruptive
thinking and solutions aimed at solving some of the planet's most pressing challenges. SU is based at the
NASA Ames campus in Silicon Valley. For more information, go to www.singularityu.org.
###
Page 2/3
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use
Contact Information:
Singularity University
Denise Vardakas
650-483-5083
denise@theconversationgroup.com
www.singularityu.org
Online Version of Press Release:
You can read the online version of this press release at: http://www.pr.com/press-release/242062
Page 3/3
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use